1. Field
The present disclosure relates to electrode active materials, methods of preparing the electrode active materials, electrodes including the electrode active materials, and lithium secondary batteries including the electrodes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, lithium secondary batteries are being used as power sources for portable compact electronic devices. Lithium secondary batteries have high energy density because they use organic electrolytes, and thus the discharge voltage of the lithium secondary batteries is at least two times greater than that of batteries using conventional alkali aqueous electrolyte solutions.
In lithium secondary batteries, materials capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions are used in the negative electrode, and the positive electrode, respectively, and an organic electrolytic solution or a polymer electrolytic solution fills the space between the positive electrode and negative electrode. In lithium secondary batteries, when lithium ions are intercalated or deintercalated, an oxidation reaction and a reduction reaction occur, respectively, and electric energy is generated due to the oxidation reaction and the reduction reaction.
A metal or a metal oxide as well as a carbon material such as graphite may be used as the negative active material of a lithium secondary battery.
However, except for carbon materials, negative active materials that have been developed so far do not have competent levels in charge/discharge capacities and capacity retention rates and thus, require further development.